The short answer
The safest fish for a shrimp tank are small, peaceful, non-predatory species with mouths too small to swallow adult shrimp — nano fish like chili rasboras, ember tetras and otocinclus. Even these will eat baby shrimp, so if you want the colony to grow, provide dense cover, or keep shrimp in a species-only tank.
Why most fish are a problem
Dwarf shrimp are prey. Adults are usually safe from small fish, but shrimplets are bite-sized snacks for almost anything. Larger or predatory fish — cichlids, larger tetras, gouramis, anything with a big mouth — will hunt adults too. So the rule is: choose the smallest, gentlest fish you can, and accept that even they’ll thin out the babies. If your priority is a booming colony, a shrimp-only tank always wins.
Fish that suit a shrimp tank
- Chili rasboras and ember tetras — tiny, peaceful shoalers
- Otocinclus — gentle algae-eaters that ignore shrimp
- Pygmy corydoras — small, peaceful bottom-dwellers
- Nerite snails as a totally shrimp-safe cleanup partner
Avoid bettas, gouramis, larger tetras, barbs and any cichlid if you value the shrimp. Even a “peaceful” fish that outgrows its shoal can start picking at shrimp, so keep tankmates small and stock them lightly.
Before you stock
Set up a mature, planted tank so shrimp have biofilm to graze and cover to hide in. Read the best shrimp tankmates, check whether corydoras suit shrimp, and plan densities with how many shrimp per litre. Cycle first via how to cycle an aquarium.